Grafton & Upton Railroad (G&U) Discussion

MaineCoonCat wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:08 pm Now begs the question(s)..

Was this just an equipment move?
or
A test/"proof of concept" for future traffic by thetlogo small.png??

It was a pretty odd collection of equipment so I would say an equipment move. A test would have been a simple engine and a few cars.

The caption on the video sez it was an equipment move of two sets for repair in Boston, because of signal work on the main line.

[OT] I mentioned dairy plant #33-08 & said it was Oakhurst in Maine; that number is HP Hood in NH.

It's certainly a "nice to have" option for the commuter rail extras, that need to be moved byway of detour. Evidently sending the train up to Ayer, wasn't an option.

What do they pay for a "16 mile" detour over the G&U vs a detour over PAR? How does it compare timewise? This move over G&U would have required a pilot vs via Ayer MBTA might have some qualified for the route. Maybe this was a proof of concept or an opportunity to qualify crew? I imagine the G&U track is in better condition and faster than PAR's track.

The MBTA did recently purchase Franklin-Milford from CSX, so the move may have been related to that. Any future MBTA service would go no further than Milford, where you could put a downtown station right at Central Street. (Previous studies did spec out a station at Hopedale, but that would require a reverse move from Milford.) It would likely be in parallel with a new layover in one of those sand pits in Bellingham.

The G&U, however, is worth keeping as an equipment move option. The railroad has historically been on very good terms with the MBTA, and it runs nicely between two layovers.

The Worcester layover seems inadequate. I don't know how things are in Framingham. How is the Franklin Line layover? Would it make sense to layover trains in one end or the other of the G&U territory?

Another video of an equipment move. Not sure if I did the link right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDEwhVTdT5o

griffs20soccer wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:33 am Another video of an equipment move. Not sure if I did the link right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDEwhVTdT5o

So this was a 2nd MBTA equipment move in the northbound direction on G&U on Wednesday 6/24/20, no? Neat!

BandA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:06 am The Worcester layover seems inadequate. I don't know how things are in Framingham. How is the Franklin Line layover? Would it make sense to layover trains in one end or the other of the G&U territory?

Current yard space available for T layover at Framingham is slim: Nevens Yard is full of cars (mostly C&D empties and loads), North Framingham is the CSX flat switching yard, and the CP yard is holding stored Railbox box cars and CSX gons.

Two equipment moves over the G&U, nice! In just a few short days the link is proving it's worth.

A move over the Worcester Main line would have required, a CSX pilot, for the back up move to CP 45, a P&W Pilot for the move to Barber, from CP 45, if a crew that was qualified is not available then either a pilot or a crew to move the train to Ayer, the a move to Boston, and then if the trainsets where not available then a required move to Beacon park over the Junction, and then reverse move all train sets. never mind the need to factor in the track availability to move everything in a timely manner, over the P&W , and Pan am Worcester main line in both directions. this make the G&U move a no brainer.

The crossings at S. Cedar are now completed and the newly installed rail is triangulated to join the CSX/Franklin line just before the wet-lands.
There are no long ties in the area to install a new switch but the rail is staged on ties for the connection.

Here are some photos taken Friday 6/26/20 that illustrate craven's post re: track laying progress at S Cedar St Milford.
To me, the stub track is hastily layed - notice in the first photo that there are many missing ties and the rails are spiked directly to the ties without use of tie plates. Going out on a thin limb, I would also say that the smattering of new stone splaying to the right suggests that this track could be aligned sort of parallel to the G&U main, once the debris and dirt piles are removed. Dunno...
FWIW, note the elevation difference between the G&U Main and the MBTA/CSX Milford branch in photo #2. And note that 115 lb rail is installed in the S Cedar St crossing while 107 lb rail is used on the rest of the Milford branch here.

The stub track looks similar to the staging of rail from Vernon St. a few weeks back.

My guess is with on-going Signal Work on the mainline, the MBTA / G&U is not going to disturb the Franklin line now due to possible equipment moves from Worcester.